Andy,
I really appreciate your no nonsense approach of telling it like it is. I only wish our coaching staff and AD did the same.
cdogvt
Spot on article, let’s win this week !
vtsquirm
Fuente isn't looking so bad now. If he hadn't burned so many bridges with the local/VA high school coaches, he may have found a way to make this thing work. Maybe... maybe not. I was hoping we'd see a little more fight in the players after the way we finished last year. But i haven't seen it yet.
Watching coach Prime turn around CU instantly is so tough to watch.
Technocrat
Shows you how much coaching means
VTaimhigh
Andy, you are saying what most of us are thinking and shouting on the board. Not sure I'd put Marshall as a "must win," because where we are, I do not believe making a bowl is possible. Too far to climb; especially with our mounting injuries. Hope I'm wrong. Year 2 of a 5-year project. Support the team and coaches. Patience is a virtue.
syee74vt96
Compared to Duke and South Carolina ... Elko and Beamer has done more with less.
Duke
2019-2020: 5-7
2020-2021: 2-9
2021-2022: 3-9
2022-2023: 9-4 – Elko
South Carolina
2019-2020: 4-8
2020-2021: 2-8
2021-2022: 7-6 – Beamer
2022-2023: 8-5 – Beamer
Virginia Tech
2019-2020: 8-5
2020-2021: 5-6
2021-2022: 6-7
2022-2023: 3-8 – Pry
RetiredHokie70
We have an inexperienced team. We have a HC, OC and DC who are all inexperienced in their positions. We have an AD who set this up. We appear to have the largest OJT program in Power 5 football. This is a long-term experiment requiring a considerable amount of fan patience…or a considerable amount of $$$ to buy our way out of this experiment.
phoenixhokie
Tech will never be a buy-out Florida State, Tennessee, LSU type program. This is the nonsense that’s a complete non-starter.
gaholder81
Totally. We will never be the type of program that buys out an HC for, say...8.5 million.
Coach_247_365
Being young up front, depth is obviously a concern. I'm curious to how physical we are in practice. When I watch us on offense up front, I'm looking for the guy who plays with an edge. Nasty. Physical. Whatever adjective you want to use. I'll take five guys up front with less talent, less stars, etc and get some guys who simply want to punish the person they are supposed to block. We are missing that up front and it shows. Too many guys standing around watching our ball carrier get stood up and not taking it personal. Get back to recruiting the guys who are laborers all summer. You'll find someone who wants to put someone on their back.
HOKIERIT
Excellent recap and article Andy. You wrote exactly the article I would have written if I could have....only MUCH better?
vtgriff09
Serious coaching question. We can complain about freshmen and raw players at safety, but yesterday we played a team that couldn't pass the ball at all. If we shutdown the run, we would have won. So why didn't we olay Canteen or Delane at Safety? Wasting them at cb vs a team that threw for 45 yds makes no sense.
phtbddh
Drones reminded me of Logan Thomas with a little better touch
ehokie01
When Pry came in, I told my buddies this was a 4 to 5 year rebuild if EVERYTHING went right. I stand by that statement. All you people losing your minds over this kill me. After Bryant left, it took Bama 12-15 years to become relevant again. All the Bigs, Texas, Michigan, Norte Dame, Tennessee, Miami, Florida State, USC, ALL went through years of irrelevance after losing Great Coaches. We are no different, and we were NEVER the program any of these were prior to their decline. In our greatest glory days, we were always punching above our weight class. We will return to competitiveness, and relevance in the future, however with the landscape of college football being what it is today, I fear we will never reach the same level as before.
phoenixhokie
250% agree and I call out the ‘fire ‘em all’ knuckle draggers all the time and will continue to. To a hammer, everything is a mail and these guys just want us to be a revolving door of coaches. That will NEVER EVER get it done. Plus, the whining. Good lord …. We pay too much. We pay too little. Whit just sucks! We used to be good. Now we can’t best JMU……It’s like they don’t see any other teams out there getting penalties, making bone headed plays, struggling or just making an honest mistake. Tech football is in a deep hole that will take YEARS. Either buck up and face reality or shut up and stop making a fool out of yourself.
gaholder81
Totally agree. You can't expect a team that has had middle of the road recruiting classes (plus a few in the 20s and 30s) to compete with teams recruiting at a lower level. Not to mention the fact that when that LOSER Fuente finally was rightly chased out we we're barely winning 1 game a year. This is a total rebuild that will take years if not decades to fix. I just don't get how people can complain about our team losing by 19 to what is NOT the worst team in the Big 10 (that's Northwestern, Rutgers is second worst). I beg you guys to find me ONE coach who has turned around an absolute dumpster fire like we were before Pry (no bowls for at least seven years) and had them competing again so quickly after a 3 wins or fewer seasons (outside of the PAC-12 and ACC of course).
HOKIE SEAN
Agree. This turnaround is going to take a while. Still sucks, but we have to see it through.
Walkin` Willie
Glad to see some fans having a grip on reality. Pry came to a cupboard bare VT and it will take several years to build things to close to where they were two decades ago. I hear a lot of criticism about Bowen but it is pretty clear he doesn't have the talent - particularly on the line - to run the plays he would like to run. Besides the injuries in the defensive backfield, my real concern is with the DL and LBs - giving up way too many yards on the ground. It's going to take time and in this era of immediate gratification, that will be tough for a lot of fans to bear.
gaholder81
??
bbowser
I agree Bowen does not have the upfront OL talent to run what he wants to….but maybe he needs to run sets and plays that the talent he has on the OL can run. I think that’s being an effective coach.
I think Pry, Marve and the rest of the crew are able coaches working with rebuilding level talent. Not sure Bowen is actually cut out to be OC. It seemed most of the plays made by Drones were where the play was busted and he used his legs and arm to make something happen. He needs to be the guy at QB going forward if Bowen is the OC.
vt86brew
I don't think everyone got your point, but I am with you.
BobDigi76
Ain’t nobody getting several years at any program to turn things around in this era of CFB. Of course Pry probably will regardless of results because this is the last CFB coach Whit gets to hire here.
Chasesfish
Appreciate the article Andy, it's why I migrated over here from your former employer.
Everything is spot on. This team is in the bottom 10 in P5 in roster talent (based on high school rankings) and is young at most positions on the depth chart. Add in injury and this is what it is. They're going to have to develop those players, win more games in the next few years, and win some recruiting battles for 4* athletes. People can point to Duke and Syracuse's talent but those are much older teams, especially on the OL.
Kyron's upside is worth the volatility and outside of FSU, none of the other games are automatic Ls. Play a few clean games and maybe they get to 6-6.
zkkl
Near the bottom but a little higher than bottom 10 based on 247 Composite (https://247sports.com/Season/2023-Football/CollegeTeamTalentComposite/)
Notably lower talent teams include
- Rutgers
- Duke
- Syracuse
- K State
- Wake Forest
Chasesfish
You are correct, 11th from the bottom in P5.
This is unfortunate but unsurprising for year 2. If it continues into year 3, the seat gets warm, and in year 4 it becomes "That's enough, send me a new one"
Replacing a coach is hard. Ask Miami or Tennessee.
earmuffs
We ain’t beating Marshall
DVerdeyen3101
Facts.
HOKIE SEAN
Good thing Muffin and Dver aren't on staff.
hoaf
Pleasantly surprised by Drones’ play. He exhibits poise and doesn’t throw a fastball when he’s 5 yards from you. He has a nice spin on the ball. I feel he will continue to improve in the coming weeks. The quarterback stirs the drink.
WestyHokie
Don't think anyone would argue with you about 6 wins and a bowl being a good outcome. It's what most of us thought was possible this season, and if we saw it, would feel like the program is headed in the right direction. Unfortunately, 6 wins and a bowl seem unlikely now if something doesn't change quickly.
moneal
As crazy as it sounds. Must win is very much the case against Marshall
TomTurkey
Thanks. Always entertaining, thoughtful, and to the point.
No_Limit_Hokie
"...while Pry noted afterward that the numbers weren’t that bad after three quarters, football games typically require you to play four."
Good thing that was not true in 1999, when we beat FSU 29-28 for the National Championship, the games that season being shortened due to Y2K concerns.
Tailgate Guru
Now that there is film on Drones and a smart game plan by Rutgers to sacrifice a little yardage in exchange for containing big plays and waiting for mistakes, tune in two weeks from now when Wells may not yet be fully recovered and the fringe is wondering what Pop Watson can do.
VT Rockie
Someone tell Pry to put down his pen and note pad and COACH!!!!!
hokieusc
Exactly. Focus that time on communicating with the players and assistant coaches. Have the GA take your notes and you do realize that you have game film to watch later! Looks foolish from the stands/TV, and the broadcast focused on it.
phoenixhokie
Uh …. Andy Reid has a pen and large notepad actually. He’s pretty decent, no?
VTAtlantaHokie
The Andy analogy is a good analogy but maybe not apples to apples. The way I see it, Andy is coaching grown men. He has to play Jedi Master with his Professional players and use facts and details to motivate his men. I think what some people are saying is why is Coach Pry taking the cerebral approach with his 18 to 20 year olds? It looks like our men need good ole fashion OJT coaching and our assistant coaches need good ole fashion OJT leadership. If you watch Shane Beamer, Saban, Smart, Norville, Sanders, insert whatever winning team coach here......those winning coaches are intensely engaged every minute of play, they are managing team emotions, teaching, reprimanding, encouraging, cheerleading their men and challenging his assistant coaches over the headset in the heat of the game. Those coaches do not seem to be waiting until half-time to huddle his players in the corner of the field before heading into tunnel or waiting until they reach the locker room to coach. When you have 6-time Championship Bulls on the floor, you can sit back quietly like Phil Jackson with your legs crossed and watch your Championship players work the triangle offense. Our boys are green and seem to need in-game coaching NOW. I believe that's where some observers are coming from.
LXNTN_HOKIE
I saw Schiano writing down notes. And other coaches, too in other games.
hokies1693
Andy, did Pollard play yesterday?
hokiehowl
He did and it looked like he and a few other tech defenders basically stood there and watched as Rutledge scored the first touchdown.
David Cunningham
Yes, he played 34 snaps. Was Tech's seventh-highest graded defensive player (68.5).
hokies1693
Thanks David. From your stats chart, it looks like he and Kendricks didn’t make a tackle.
IB4TECH
I'm excited about the progress of this team and I'm not discounting your facts. But until we have a P5 talent level team, I'm not putting so much on the coaches. Players make mistakes, inexperienced players make mistakes.
Our player made a mistake on the opening kickoff. We got the ball deep in our own territory when we should have gotten the ball on the 35 yard line. According to Mike and Bill, the players have been instructed to step out of bounds and touch the ball. Our player did not execute properly.
hokiepro
How well are these players being instructed if they’re not taking the coaching and applying it to games. It’s most glaring in missed blocking assignments and missed run fit responsibilities
WestyHokie
Add to that the fact that there does seem to be better talent this season than last season. Better talent, same result does not equal "players."
Steeltown Hokie
This!!!
Steeltown Hokie
How do you expect to get more talented players if the team is dreadful?
SouthMSHokie
Are you ignoring what is happening in Boulder after 18 years of "dreadful"?
MKD
Andy, as always, a great 5 thoughts...
I actually think Drones is a better passer than Wells because he has a quicker release and tighter spirals on his throws. (He's just as accurate as Wells) I have some hope for the offense, but the defense has actually regressed from last year. Most of their mistakes are defense football 101. I blame that 100% on the coaches including the D coordinator and Pry. I look for Marshall to use a lot of misdirection because I think that would equate to at least 3 scores, maybe more against this VT defensive squad.
maroonhiker
Excellent and thoughtful, as usual.
dougellen1
This football program is dead and buried for many years. All that's missing is a headstone
133222Hokie
Very, very sad. ‘Nuff said!!
JBHokieFan
Drones performance makes it all the more baffling why they kept in a struggling Wells against Purdue. Understand that he had the hot hand at halftime, but after it was clear his injury was hampering him, why not insert Drones?
That's the most discouraging sign about Pry. His game management is poor, and not getting better. Feels like this entire staff is overwhelmed on game day.
In the lone bright spot, the team doesn't give up. Culture does seem to be improving. A Fuente team would have rolled over pretty early in both the last two games. The fact that both games were in reach in Q4 says a lot. But we need to start getting some actual wins, not just moral victories.
hokiepro
Fuente teams have two of the largest comebacks in VT history
No_Limit_Hokie
Arkansas, and I forget the other one?
DW Hokie
Notre Dame?
HOKIE SEAN
Yes, I believe we were down 17 to ND and won.
No_Limit_Hokie
Both in the 2016 season, I think?
DADEC52
Good article Andy, always appreciate your viewpoint. Beyond that I'm going with Mom, if you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all!
vt49701
Reading these articles is honestly more enjoyable than watching the games.
"while Pry noted afterward that the numbers weren’t that bad after three quarters, football games typically require you to play four"
One of the prior weeks it was "that's why coaches wear headsets".
Love the TSL coverage and will always love being a Hokie, but wow these games are difficult to watch. We continue to be completely irrelevant and non competitive against average competition.
As each week goes by, hopefully our injuries can heal up and our coaching staff can gain valuable experience to help right the ship.
Go Hokies.
502RSA
Agreed. Both lines are the brutal reality we all need to hear, and something to laugh at.
Monty451
I hate to agree with you - but it is absolutely true for me too - I enjoy reading Andy's articles more than watching the games. I used to love watching the D line stopping the run with a TFL or only a yard or two - and then a 3 and out for the offense. Would love to see that again - soon!!!
63 Comments